John Christopher Muran

John Christopher Muran (born December 4, 1961 in New York) is an American clinical psychologist and psychotherapy researcher.

John Christopher Muran graduated cum laude from The Hotchkiss School in 1980 and Hamilton College in 1984. He completed a doctorate in combined professional-scientific psychology at Hofstra University in 1989. He also completed postdoctoral training in cognitive therapy at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry (University of Toronto) in 1990 and in psychoanalysis at the New York University Postdoctoral Program in 1998.

He is a Full Professor at the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, where he currently holds the appointment of Associate Dean and serves as training director for the doctoral program in clinical psychology. He is also Principal Investigator and Director of the Brief Psychotherapy Research Program at Mount Sinai Beth Israel (since 1990), which has been supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, and is on faculty at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Muran's work has concentrated on the following topics: psychotherapy integration and difference, therapeutic relationship and alliance, therapist position and experience, treatment impasse and failure, performance under pressure, theories on self, identity politics and intersubjectivity.  He has published over 130 papers and 8 books, including The Therapeutic Alliance (2010; with Jacques Barber), Dialogues on Difference (2007), Self-Relations in the Psychotherapy Process (2001), and Negotiating the Therapeutic Alliance (2000; with Jeremy Safran).

Muran is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (since 2007) and serves on its Advisory Steering Committee for Clinical Treatment Guidelines. He is past-president of the Society for Psychotherapy Research (SPR)and past-editor of its international journal Psychotherapy Research.He has also served on several editorial boards, including Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology and Clinical Psychology: Science & Practice. He has received other honors and recognition for his accomplishments.

Muran married clinical psychologist Elisa Denise Ventur in 1992 with whom he has a son Andrew Christopher Muran.

• Castonguay, L.G. & Muran, J.C. eds. (2016). Practice-Oriented Research in Psychotherapy (special issue reprint from Psychotherapy Research). Oxford, United Kingdom: Routledge.
• Wolf, A.W., Goldfried, M.R., & Muran, J.C. eds. (2013). Transforming Negative Reactions to Clients. Washington, DC: APA Books.
• Muran, J.C., & Barber, J.P., eds. (2010). The Therapeutic Alliance: An Evidence-Based Guide to Practice. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
• Castonguay, L.G., Muran, J.C. et al., eds. (2010). Bringing Psychotherapy Research to Life. Washington, DC: APA Books.
• Muran, J.C., ed. (2007). Dialogues on Difference: Diversity Studies on the Therapeutic Relationship. Washington, DC: APA Books.
• Muran, J.C., ed. (2001). Self-Relations in the Psychotherapy Process. Washington, DC: APA Books.
• Safran, J.D. & Muran, J.C. (2000). Negotiating the Therapeutic Alliance: A Relational Treatment Guide. New York, NY: Guilford Press (Spanish & Italian translations; also in paperback).
• Safran, J.D. & Muran, J.C. ed. (1998). The Therapeutic Alliance in Brief Psychotherapy. Washington, DC: APA Books (Italian translation).